Biden Son Quits Pro-Gambling Lobby

Hunter Biden, son of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden, has quit the federal lobbying business for which he was a partner, a Wall Street Journal blog has reported.

In a letter released Friday, Biden told Congress he no longer expects to act as a federal lobbyist for the firm Oldaker, Biden and Belair, which represented nine clients, including a law firm representing online gambling magnate Russ DeLeon.

Ranked 197 on Forbes' 2006 list of the richest Americans with a net worth of $1.8 billion, DeLeon co-founded the online gaming company PartyGaming. According to a form belonging to Biden's company, the firm made $50,000 for representing Russ DeLeon over just a few weeks earlier in 2008.

In all likelihood, these revelations won't have a major impact on the thinking of Hunter Biden's father. As we have previously reported, Senator Joe Biden hasn't made any major statements on gambling, although he did approve the controversial 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which effectively banned Internet gambling by outlawing the transfer of funds from a financial institution to Internet gambling sites.

Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, who has led the group of pro-gambling legislators in Washington, said Friday that the House Financial Services panel, of which he is chair, will move legislation toward overturning the UIGEA.